Den of Thieves 2: Pantera – Butler is back with guns on the run

The (other) bad boys are back. And this time, they’ve got diamonds on their mind.

In Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) finds himself in Europe as he and his crew begin to plot a massive heist of the world largest diamond exchange. However, the return of Big Nick (Gerard Butler) into his life threatens these plans immediately. Having been fired from the force, Nick has decided that he’s going to join Donnie’s crew for the big job. But can he be trusted?

Once again, written and directed by Christian Gudegast, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera knows what type of film it is and enthusiastically embraces it with glee. While the film would do fine as a straight-to-VOD title, Pantera still pops on the big screen. With fire and fury, the film wants to be a fun, box office distraction for the month of January and it does so effectively. (And, let’s be serious. In the dark cold of winter, who wouldn’t enjoy watching a trip to the warm European coastal region?)

Like much of Butler’s catalog, this is an enthusiastic and bombastic film that fires on all cylinders. (Love him or hate him, the man knows what his audience wants.) Whereas some heist films take a suave approach in their larceny, Den of Thieves takes a more explosive tone. As such, this is a film that feels closer to The Fast and the Furious franchise than it does Oceans’ Eleven. Even so, Gudegast understands what he wants to accomplish and goes full throttle towards his goal.

Like its predecessor, Pantera’s success rides on the relationship between its leads. Although they don’t necessarily have the chemistry of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Butler and Jackson Jr. are clearly enjoying playing off one another. Between Jackson Jr.’s smooth talking nature and Butler’s (almost) violent growl, the two men work well enough together to make the film enjoyable. 

But what’s most important in a film like this is the heist itself. And it’s here that Pantera genuinely picks up steam. In any great cinematic break-in, the score isn’t as important as the execution of the job itself. Gudegast has clearly studied when it comes to cinema heists and makes the moments in the diamond reserve memorable. Subtleties such as countdowns and layered audio build tension when it needs to be, giving the heist a thrilling edge. In this way, Pantera does an excellent job of bringing the fun when things get rolling.

Admittedly, Pantera is in it for the fun as opposed to any grand themes or ideas. However, it’s worth noting that Big Nick and Donnie seem torn when it comes to whether or not people can really change. “The leopard can change its spots,” we’re told repeatedly. But can it? In order for the job to be a success, both men need to find a way to build trust in order for them to work together.

In the end, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera does its job well. Big, loud and thrilling in moments, this is a film that simply wants to entertain audiences. And, while the film doesn’t always shine like a diamond, one can’t deny that it gets the job done. 

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is available in theatres on Friday, January 10^th, 2025.